Hiker slid down steep mountain slope and was lucky to be alive

ANHUI, China (CNN) — A hiker is lucky to be alive after slipping and falling on a mountain, sliding down the steep slope until a tree broke his fall.

Yang Meng, 42, was hiking in the Fanzengjian Mountains in east China's Anhui province on Monday when he slipped and fell. The terrifying moments were captured on a 360-degree camera. The close-up shows him sliding down a rain-soaked slope before a tree breaks his fall and saves his life.

“I realized I couldn't get up at all and was sliding faster and faster. That's when it hit me: 'I have to fall off a cliff,'” Yang told CNN on Friday. “When I hit the tree, it felt like a heavy boulder crashed down. I just thought: 'This can't happen. I'm dead.'”

The video was filmed and posted on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok. Many users expressed shock at the footage and commented on how lucky Yang was to be alive and expressed gratitude that a tree saved his life.

In a later video shared on the platform, Yang said he was not seriously injured in the fall but suffered some bruising on his left leg.

“I guess I got away mostly unscathed. Just a small scratch on my left hand and a small cut on my thigh. Other than that, I was fine,” he told CNN.

Yang said the incident made him think more deeply about the meaning of life.

“Life is really short, so we have to appreciate every day. I won't let this incident hold me back. If anything, it pushes me to explore the world even more,” he said.

Anhui province, about 450 kilometers west of Shanghai, has been hit by heavy rains in recent days as two powerful typhoons, Bebinca and Yagi, swept through the region.

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